


ulterior motives

by hasmtan (randomcanbian)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 19:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10770834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomcanbian/pseuds/hasmtan
Summary: Veronica asks Ethel to be her partner for an English project. It's unexpected, to say the least, but Ethel doesn't say no.





	ulterior motives

**Author's Note:**

> so disappointed that nothing's been written for this pairing yet??? come on guys

When Sir Joey announced the assignment in English—and said explicitly that it had to be done in pairs—Ethel gave a resigned sigh. She wasn't friends with anyone in the class. Friendly with some, maybe, but not to the point where they'd actively seek each other out the moment the word "partner" exited a teacher's mouth. She'd probably have to wait until everyone else in the class paired up and left the room to search for a fellow leftover.

As students stood to look for their friends, Ethel let her attention wander to the table a row in front of her.

Veronica. Beautiful, charming, brilliant Veronica, who would never have Ethel's problem. Her looks alone would grant an automatic consideration from any boy in this school (and, she'd suppose, any closeted queer girls, if there were any in Riverdale High). Add to that the fact that she was one of the top students in this class, what with her venerable grasp of the English language and her frankly intimidating knowledge of classic and contemporary literature, and it'd be no surprise to find that most everyone was raring for a change to pair up with her.

There were a number of other students who joined Ethel in eyeing the same desk, but it was Reggie who made the first move.

"Hey Lodge," he said, as he swaggered over to her. He placed a palm on her desk and leaned closer, giving her what he probably thought was a dashing grin. "Wanna do the project together?"

Ethel thought she'd say yes. They _had_ gone on a date, hadn't they? Although it would seem that, based on the facebook pictures, Veronica had been dancing more with Josie than the football player. Still.

Instead:

"Sorry, Reggie, but I was thinking of working with someone else." To the astonishment of everyone paying attention to this little conversation, Veronica looked over her shoulder.

At Ethel.

"Hey, Ethel, do you want to work on the project with me?"

Ethel stuttered, momentarily stunned to have this question from _the_ Veronica Lodge directed at her.

"M-me? Uh, sure."

Reggie squinted at her, looking just as perplexed as she felt at the turn of events, before walking away to look for someone else to pair up with. Veronica, in the meanwhile, shot her a dazzling smile. Ethel felt her heart rate speed up.

The last time she had interacted with Veronica, it was during the Chuck Clayton incident.

She was a _vision_ , hair still wet from her venture into the pool, water droplets studding her skin and the black swimsuit that had been all but painted on her, her face as beautiful as it had always been.

Ethel had the right to be nervous. What would a girl like _that_ want from a girl like her?

"Can we talk during lunch?" Veronica asked. "Miss Miciano's in my next class. You probably know how she's with with students who aren't, like, ten minutes early."

"Y-yeah." Ethel replied. "It's really unfair. What does she expect us to do, teleport across school?"

"Ugh, right?" Veronica agreed with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway," she added as she stood up, "you still have my number?"

 _From when I helped you and Betty out in your revenge plot? Yeah._ "Yeah. I'll, uh, text you when I'm done with class," Ethel replied, managing to give the other girl a small smile. She felt weird—she was hyperaware, of the blood rushing through her head, of her heart beating in her chest, most especially of Veronica's eyes meeting with hers. It was only when the other girl had left the room that Ethel could feel like her usual self.

She was...she was _nervous_ , that's for sure. But it didn't quite feel like being called to recite for a question she didn't know, or like waiting for a poorly-veiled insult to drop from Cheryl's lips each time she passed by her in the hall.

What she'd just felt, it was something different, Ethel just couldn't say why.


End file.
